St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-10
A SURGICAL TRIUMPH.
Removal of Forty Pound Tuner From
a Young Lady Pwenty-Three
Years of Age.
The Excrescence Noticed From Birth
The Theory Of the Physicians
Regarding It.
Treatment of the Case From Infancy
1T BaMed Many Sur
geOnS.
The Young Lady Healthy and Robust
Until the Tumor Became
Injured.

For the first time in the history of Min,
nesota medical practice case rare in Amer
lea, and even uncommon in the world, has
been developed, and as something of it has
become known to the public it is proper
that correct sketch of the case should be
given. Reference is had to the removal Of
''congenital Sacral tumor' from the per-
son OF young lady named Theresa Bier
man, a resident of Saltwater. The opera
ton was performed at st. Joseph's hospital,
st. Paul, by surgeon from Saltwater, as
sisted by two eminent st. Paul surgeons
selected by the physician in charge of the
case, and was witnessed by some fifteen
surgeons among the most eminent medical
men in the Northwest. The operation was
performed on Tuesday last in very sue
cessful manner. and at present the young
lady, who possesses vigorous constitution,
has rallied from its effects and is on a fair
way to recover. 1t became necessary from
the fact that suppuration had taken
place within the tumor, and puss
had begun to accumulate in large quanti-
ties, producing chills and fever and render
Ing death certain within a short time. The
tumor removed was attached externally to
the sacrum or lower end Of the spine, and
when removed and diSSected was found to
contain the form of a partially developed
human being enveloped in mass COM
posed of fatty substance and tissue, and
weighed about thirty pounds.
THE MEDICAL THEORY
of the origin and growth of this parasiticaI
substance is this: In the ordinary evolu-
tons Of nature two germs of human life
were formed, which. following their des-
tiny, finally reached a point at which
further growth or development came to an
end in one from some unknown cause, while
the other fulfilled the law of creation and
became living soul. But while yet in an
undeYeloped state the lifeless germ became
attached by contact to the living one, and
was encysted or covered by it with coat
ing of skin tissue and fat and became an
excrescence upon the body of the newborn
babe. At birth it was about the size
of an orange, but it seemed to grow
with the development of the child until
at the age of 10 it assumed fixed size,
which it has retained for the past four
years. Thus has this unwelcome parasite
been borne about by its living twin through
infancy. childhood, youth and young
wOmanhood, torture. an annoyance and
finally a source of disease, and what would
have been in few weeks more cause Of
certain death. To give clearer idea Of
this most wonderful case we have but to
suppose that these two germinal forms had
both pursued the ordinary course of an
equal development until birth. We then
should have seen another wonderful case Of
human curiosity like the Siamese twins
! or the Hungarian sisters, attached by Q
ligament. Gwo living bodies united by a
most wonderful freak of nature instead Of
one vigorous. robust body with its parasite
cal eXcrescence or tumor. The
HISTORY OF IT'S TIRE ATMENT
is this: At three weeks of age the child
was taken to physician for treatment
who, being unable to diagnose the case,
made an inciSion and drew off about one
half the substance of this abnor-
NAL growth, but found the residue
of solid and unyielding nature.
Injections of some fluid substance were made
daily for one week, but without avail, as
| its bulk could not be reduced and it was
abandoned. At months of age the child
was brought to Pope's Medical college, ST.
Louis DR.. Pope, its president, properly
diagnosed the case and pronounced it ex-
actly what the operation on Tuesday de-
veloped it to be. He offered to amputate
them, if the mother would place her child
in charge of the sisters, where the little
| patient could be subject to his complete con-
troll and receive the most skillful care and
| treatment. This was refused and the oper-
alton was then abandoned. The child's
parents soon after removed to Keoliuk. Ia,
where number of surgeons examined it,
but were in the dark as to its nature and
| could do nothing for it. At years of
age it was again taken to Pope's college,
| st, Louis. where his successor, DR.. Polk,
| and other physicians examined it under con-
centrated light and detected seven dark
points within the substance Of this peculiar
protuberance, but after consultation they
too declined to operate. At 10 years of age
the parents removed to Saltwater, where a
| German physician examined the curious
| substance, but could not define
ITS NATURE.
The health and development of the I'M
| fortunate little miss continued, and the
| tumor increased in size until she was where
| it seemed to have reached complete devel-
| opment, which it has since maintained.
! Miss Bierman was healthy, robust young
! woman, despite her deformity, and was
| able to perform almost any kind Of house.
| hold labor. The wonderful parasite. when
removed and separated from its surround
| ings, reveals the semblance of a human
| form, in fact an almost developed infant.
1t will be preserved as one of the wonders
of the age by the st. Paul Medical college.
| The subject of the operation still remains at
! st. Joseph's hospital, under the Immediate
care, during the absence of DR.. Marshall. in
| this city, of DR.. Wheaton. Her chances OF
! life and perfect recovery are excellent.
Four out of five similar cases have recov-
cred, though operated on at an earlier age.
If the system of the patient be not too
thoroughly impregnated with the absorp-
| ton of the poisonous matter, which had no
outlet prior to the operation, her health will
soon be reganed. The case will be fully
reported at the proper time in medical jour
| mails.